Aix Vandals Graffiti und Writing in Aachen 1988–2018
From June to September 2018 the Centre Charlemagne – Neues Stadtmuseum Aachen did host the exhibition “Uns gehört die Stadt! Kids, Kunst und Krawall in Aachen” (“The City Belongs to Us! Kids, Art and Riot in Aachen”). The accompanying exhibition catalogue was created to allow deeper insight into the city’s history in graffiti and street art.
Just like many other European cities Aachen, located not far from the Netherlands and Belgium in western Germany, developed a graffiti scene in the mid 80s after the New York writing was presented in books, movies and music. But unlike other locations, Aachen was home of the at this time quite popular Klaus Paier, called the “Aachener Wandmaler” (“Aachen wall painter”) who started painting critical political messages and characters back in 1978. It seems as if his works also did influence writers of the first generations who noticeable often combined their pieces with big characters.
Without the approach to give a complete picture, the several chapters introduce early writers such as CODO and ATEST, spotlight special spots like hall of fames and writers corners and feature important protagonists of the local scene like PENCL, HUSH77, JUNK or the FYA crew in chronological order. Furthermore featured artists are PAW, CEYS, LOVE, SENCE, IKOM, LEEDS, AKSE, PUZZY, YNOT, NAV, CRUSH and DINKY.
Aix Vandals includes texts and interviews led by Harald Hinz, Robert Kaltenhäuser, Philipp Lembke, Thomas Weyres, Lene ter Haar, Paul Sous, Jasmin Waschl and Katja Glaser who focuses on stickers, stencils and non-graffiti urban interventions just like the art from Klaus Paier from more than 40 years ago.
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